Return of Mischa
by fogodejunho
Summary: He is almost Satan, execept for one weakness, his Achilles' heel -Mischa, his sister, who died years ago in a brutal way. So, what would happen if Mischa returns in an unexpected way? The God took his Mischa away, and he decided to make one of his own.
1. prologue

Return of Mischa

Prologue

Emergency room of Johns Hopkins Hospital，Baltimore, Maryland.

What we got here?

A little girl, about five or six years old, Car-train crash, multiple injured, hypertentise and tachycardic…

Oh my God, she looks like chopped!

His heart seemed missed one beat，maybe two._ I must be to tired. How long I've been working in the ER? Twenty hours?maybe thirty. Since when did I stop counting time?_

_But she looks just like Mischa. The nose, the shape of eyebrows. And the red skirt, soaked with blood._

Blood type?

A positive.

2 Units of blood.

Dr. Lecter!

Her heart stopped.

0.5mg adrenaline. Begin CPR.

_So tired!His brain was sinking into the bottom of a lake, seeing and hearing through the dark water, through the ices, through the bones on unknown animals on the deep soft bed of the lake. _

_Her bones were so fragil, he almost felt the cracks under his hands._

No reaction.

1mg adrenaline.

Her lips were as cold as ice. He felt the taste of her blood, like cool thin air after snow.

Still no reaction. It's more than five minutes.

_Has been that long? It feels like just a blink. But his eyelide are so heavy now. May it takes years to blink._

3mg adrenaline. Keep on blood transfusion.

Dr. Lector. It's more than ten minutes. Still no reaction.

_His brain refuses to work any more. He hears a weary voice saying_

Scalpel. I' m going to do internal cardiac massage.

Stop! We already losed her. Shut up! _Who is yelling? Terrible rude!He had no time to see, to think._

Scalpel.

His hand was in her chest now. The little heart safely perched in his hand.

_Too many blood has been bleeding out. How much blood does a little girl have?_

Dr. Lecter! Stop!

_That voice sounds familar, just like the chefe of the ER._

_He wants to kick them out, all of them, with the lights and the walls, which he spent years to build, are till not high enough, thick enough to shut them all out, to shut the little girl out. He is too tired, too exhausted._

His fingers gently touched her heart through the glove. _So tiny, so weak, like a small bird, refusing to beat any more. Where did Mischa's heart go? Disappeared in someone's mouth, someone's smelly mouth with filthy teeth and stains of chewing tabaccos became the grave of her little heart, together with her little arm and legs. Wass that filthy rude two-feet-beasts her grave. _

_Oh Stop! I can't let that happen again._

Dr. Lecter! Stop! She is dead.

_No. _

_Do you really want to do this again? He asked God which he had known exactly not exist. Let me watch her to be hurt again, to disappear again?and why? Is that is the punishment which he had decided not to care long time ago?Why Mischa has to suffer?_

_One more try, just one more. he can bring her back. He can. Mischa, please came back!_

And she did.

He left the hospital at the dawn. There was a ragged blooded stained doll abandoned beside the trashcan at the entrance of the hospital. He stopped and watched it, tried to figured out if that doll was hers. He stood there thinking untile the cleaning workers took it away.

Now in day time, her resemblance to Mischa was weakened by daylights. Mischa was blond, her hair were like sunshine, like those girls in a Renoir's painting. This girl's was gloomy dark. Mischa had a chubby pink face. her face was pretty pale due to massive loss of blood, and the scar on her left cheek would probably live with her in the rest of her life. Her eyes were still closed. He remembered checking her pupils, but he totally forgot the color of her eye. He was pretty sure they were dark too, as dark as the pond water which had too many dead leaves inside－－the little liar. She attacked him when he was exhausted and weak.

How could he confused her and Mischa last night? He felt a little angry that he hadn't felt in years. As if she had lied to him, given him a false promise. Let him believe in a moment that Mischa still had a future.

In a sudden impulsion, he just wanted to tear her breast up , pull off her heart and eat it when it's still warm, still beating. He could easily do that before she even couldn't feel a thing.

He put his hand around her neck, felt the feeble beat from her carotid artery- a beat he trudged thousand of miles and fought so hard with the Death to take back.

She was so small, looked even smaller under the white sheet. He put some extra force on his hand. And in a sudden, he remembered the other thing she and Mischa had in commun - the collarbones, so delicate, so exquisite, like wings of small bird, in fact you could felt the little pulse of the feather.

He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to remember the sensation of had her heart in his hand, feel the weak beating in his hand. He should eat her then. More fresh, more delicate. _Maybe he should took her away, to a cabin in a high snow mountain, to keep her far away from the damage they were about made to her in those coming days, before she is too broken to be repaired. He might eat her eventually, Her beautiful bones would stay under the ice forever. But she wouldn't suffer from those stinky salivas and filthy teeth and putrefying stomachs and intestines-She deservs much more better than that. _

But instead, he looked her for a moment, put a brand new doll beside her pillow, and gently kissed her little face. His lips felt the warm of her cheek, the warm Mischa would never have again.

While with his lips still warm, he left the hospital and quitted practicing medical.

He believed that he would never see her again.


	2. Chapter 1-1

Chapter One

Trillian

"It's Dr. Lectet's office, please leave a message."

"Hi, It's Alana Bloom. I need your help with a patient, could you call me ASAP?"

Alana was waiting for him at the parking of the Baltimore mental hospital.

"So, what's the situation?" He asked on their way to Alana's office.

"The patiente's name is Catherine, Catherine Adams. Her parents passed away when she was only six, a car-train crash accident. She was adpoted by her mother's cousin, Laura Thomson and her husband Brian Thomson. Until last week, they were both killed in their house. And she began to call herself Trillian after that night. Oh, hi Catherine!" She smiled to the girl sitting on the meadow nearby.

He recognized the doll at the first look.

It was broken, almost hairless, half of the left hand hand was missing. One of the leg was broken too, glued by a clumsy hand. It's clothes were worn-out, carefully repaired, trying despairedly to remain tidy.

She was pretty broken too, a little talled than her age. Slender, or maybe skinny was the best word. Her nose had been broken, and so had her left arm-he could tell it from the strange angles, repaired by some clumsy hands of a country doctor. Her resemblance to Mischa was much less now.

She looked frightened, like a young hind, always ready to flee from unknown dangerous. But those eyes, those innocent eyes, they maneged to remain untouched. Looking into those eyes, He almost felt sorry for her- those innocent bones, they deserved better than that.

Those exquisite collar-bones remained untouched too, a little miracle. Those delicate bones, like the wings of a little bird. He should let them perch on the highest branch, blooming in the sunshine, glowing in the moonlight.

He turned to Alana: "So, what do you need me here? PTSD is your backyard."

She hesitated for a second : "Professor Rudlof thought she was the murderer of the Thomsons, Jack needs a third opinion, theoretically. "

_Sounds interesting._

Jack Crawford and other two men were waiting in Alana's office.

"Hello, Jack."

"Hello, Dr. Lecter. This is professor Rudolf."

"Good morning. Professor." He quickly checked his unfit suit and vivid colorful tie, "nice to meet you. I read your book about maladjusted adolescence and juvenile delinquency. You point is very challenging." _in another word, totally rubbish, as pretentious as the author himself . He could __crucify a young girl to achieve his own fame._

"Good morning, Dr. Lector." he flushed with the blandish.

"And this is sheriff Sam."

"Morning Sheriff." _a typical sheriff of a small town, tall and strong. His family must have been living in the area for generations. He knows every secret of everyone in this town, but doesn't have even one tiny piece of imagination. _

Sheriffe Sam began to introduce the case to him: "It happened a week ago. Brian Thomson and Laura Thomson, the landlord of the Thomson farm were found dead in their own house, in Catherine's bedroom, chopped to death. There were no signs of struggl. The murder tried to burns the house but failed probably because of the the humidity of the recent days. Catherine was found passed out in the stable, naked, and according to the medical examination result, being raped. "

"Was she a virgin when she had been raped?"

"No. Dr. Lecter."

"The point of origin fire was in her bedroom?"

"Yes. But only the her bed was burnt, the bodies were undamaged."

"Thank you, sheriff, please go on."

_It's getting more interesting than he had thought. _


	3. Chapter 1-2

"A worker of Thomson's farm called Dirk Goodman, nicknamed ugly Dirk was missing since then. Witness said Brian and Dirk had a fierce fight three days before the murder, the reason of their quarrel still unknown. We found an empty whiskey bottle at the crime scene which was believed to be used to make fire. Dirk and Catherine' fingerprints were both found on the bottle, but no other evidence suggests he was there." _Fascinating. Probably you would __never__ find him__ again__.  
_

Alana kept on from here: "Catherine was transferred to Baltimore mental hospital after she was discharged from the county hospital, I'm her doctor. She was unable to speak in the first three days. Her circumstances improved after medical treatment and psychological treatment. But she completely lost the memory of that night, furthermore, she seemed forget everything and began to call herself Trillian. She developed PTSD since that night. The symptoms include memory loss, avoid talking about the case, has difficulty falling asleep, nightmares, occasional sleepwalking. "  
"Did she suffer from the same symptoms after the last accident? The accident killed her parents. " He asked.  
"No medical records can prove that. But, according to Sheriff Sam, she couldn't speak for a long time."  
Sheriff Sam nodded: "I knew Brian for decades. She didn't talk at all when she first came here. We all thought it was something from her injuries in the car accident. She gradually began to talk after she went to school and made some friends. Poor kid, easy to got hurt. "  
"Got hurt? I would use the word abuse! Look at her medical records, broken nose, broken arm, broken ribs - fell down the stairs, kicked by a angry bull, fell off a horse, even that, accidently put her hand into boiling water ! You can find all possible excuses you could imagine in it! "Alana stared at the sheriff straightly in the face.  
Sheriff dodged her eyes: "I had to admit that Brian was a bit rough, especially after some drink, he might not notice what he was doing. But he was a good guy, never intended to hurt anyone." (Save it. No parents, unable to speak, isolated in a squalor farm. She was a piece of fresh meat. When did he begin to rape her? From the first night she arrived his house or since the delicate bud of her breast began to bloom?)  
He changed the topic:"So, what's your diagnosis, Dr. Bloom? PTSD or psychological disorders caused by long-term abuse?"  
"I think her symptoms are more likely emotional disorders caused by long-term abuse. The symptoms of PTSD only showed in the first couple of days."  
Rudolf has been ambushing there, waiting for this for centuries. Now he eagerly rushed out: "But these symptoms can not explain why she claimed to be Trillian, and has been acting like six-year-old girl."  
Alana admitted it reluctantly: "No, I can only explain it as protective seperation of reality, trying to protect herself by pretending she is someone else."  
Rudolf persuited with enthusiasm : " Do you know how many husbands were merdered by angry wives in the last decade? And how many of those wives had been abused frequently? 75%! I told you, yound lady, When abused ones decided to fight back, things seldom not ended in murder. Especially in cases like this, extremely psychological disordered teenagers, highly unstable. I can tell you what happened that night - Brian raped her in her bedroom, Laura came in and saw that. She blamed her of seducing him, and bang! That became the last straw - she went crazy and killed them all. After that she got scared, fled to the stable, pretend memory loss, pretend to be Trillian or something. She is playing games with you, Doctor! " _It seems there is something in __that __big__head__._  
"Are you accusing her of being a murderier and a liar, Professor? A sixteen-years-old girl killed two adults?" Alana tried very hard to hide the angry in her voice.  
" She might capable for that. Listen, " Rudolf got really excited about his own words.  
Sheriff Sam chimed in : " She grew up in a farm, she knew how to use an ax."  
"Yes, yes." Rudolf showed a little impatience of being interrupted, "There is a theory, I mentioned in my book - those who suffered traumatizing experience during their childhood , especially the loss of parents at a very early age, usually have trouble in personality development, such as emotionally unstable, personality disorder. The actual behaviors can be further divided into... "  
"Well, Professor Rudolf, we can discuss your theory later," he said briskly, "Sheriff Sam must think psychologists are really boring." _Stop showing off your stupid theory.__  
_Rudolf's face flushed. He began to stammer incoherently.  
_Now, he begins to hate me__. __He thinks cheerfully.__  
_He stood up: "If you don't mind, I would like to go check Trillian."  
"It's Catherine!" Rudolf couldn't wait to correct him.  
"I know."  
Alana stood up too: "I'll go with you, Catherine is afraid of strangers."  
"No, thanks. Go on with your discussion with Professor Rudolf. Speaking of children, when I had my internship in pediatrics, they all said I was pretty good at dealing with children."


	4. Chapter 1-3

She sat on the lawn, far away from another another people, clenching of the ragged doll. A nurse was with her. He made a gesture to ask the nurse to leave, then slowly walked toward her.  
Her eyes were green, frightened eyes. Her eyes stayed on him, penetrated him, looked at something in nowhere. He remembered that night ten years ago, the broken little girl. _Oh my God, she looks like chopped! __Too broken to be __fix__ed.  
_He sat down beside her: "Hello, Trillian."  
Her eyes wandered back from somewhere thousands miles away, fell on his face, with an expression of complete fright, like an alarmed little bird, always ready to fly away.  
He continued in a relaxing voice: "I am Dr. Lecter, can we have a talk?"  
She turned her face around as if looking for something, then turned back, a trace of curiosity showed on her face.  
He looked at the doll, talking slowly: "Is that Catherine? She is so pretty."

She looked down at the worn-out doll: "She is Emily."  
"Good to see you, Emily."  
"Emily said she was good to see you too."  
They sat there in pleasant silence, watching a butterfly flying over the grass.  
After a while, she asked: "When will daddy and mommy pick me up?"  
"I'm sorry Trillian, but not today."  
She looked quite disappointed, almost burst into tears. Her fingers teared off the leaves of grass carelessly.  
"Emily, do you like ice cream?"

Her eyes glowed: "Emily like chocolate ice cream."  
"And you? Do you like chocolate ice cream or strawberry one?"

An-almost-smile emerged on her face: "Can I have both?"

"Sure. sweety." He offered her his hand.  
She hesitated for a moment, then carefully slipped her hand into his.

He sat opposite to her, watching her carefully and greedily eating ice cream, watching with great interest. her arms are slender as a willow shoot , but didn't looked weak. Dia she really know how to use an ax?  
After she finished eating, he asked: "Trillian, do you know where Catherine is?"  
She tilted her head slightly, clenching her doll tightly, looked puzzle: "I do not know. Who is Catherine?"  
He continued to ask: "Does Emily know?"  
She thought for a moment: "Maybe, Emily knows everything. Why all of you looking for Catherine?" She stared at him curiously.  
He gently wiped a chip of chocolate off her chin: "Let it go, That's not important."

On their way back, she allowed him to hold her hand without hesitation.

He went back to Alana's office. Jack and Sheriff Sam were whispering something. Alana and Rudolf sat in sullen silence.  
Jack asked: "Dr. Lecter, what's your opinion?"  
He decided to tell them the truth: "My initial diagnosis is DID, Dissociative Identity Disorder, which is commonly known as split tersonality, but I need further observations and analysis to draw a conclusion."  
"Ha! Now we have a third opinion." Rudolf said it with a sarcastic twist.

Alana frowned, pondering his words.  
Jack sighed heavily: "I need an answer, and I need the answer soon." He mumbled, "If I still had Will."

"You haven't. Because he has got to close." Alana said bitterly.  
Everyone just pretended not to hear her.  
He cautious put his suggestions on the table: "I think we could try hypnotherapy. Maybe I can find Catherine recover her repressed memories and and her memory."  
"hypnotherapy? Charlatan's tricks." Dawson whispered, carefully make sure that everybody could hear it clearly .  
Everyone just pretended not to hear him.  
"Hannibal, as her doctor, I'm afraid hypnotherapy could only make things worse. Consider her her condition, I think she is not yet ready to face reality ."  
"Alana, I understand your concern. however, Jack, if it was not her, then there would be a brutal killer wandering around in the neighborhood. I'm afraid that something bad would happen again." _S__omething bad will happen again, I promise._  
Jack thought about it for a moment: "Do you have any on the effects of hypnotherapy How confident? Is there any possibility to make her situation worse?"  
He weighed his words for a moment: "I have to admit that there is risks, the results are very uncertain, but I'm looking forward to the possitive side."  
"Jack, we can not put her in danger!" Alana said agitatedly.  
"Doctor Bloom , please trust me. I wouldn't do anything harmful to her ."  
"Jack, you said the same thing to Will Graham!"  
"Doctor Bloom, you are an excellent doctor, always concern about your patient, I deeply admire it. But there mightbe some innocent people's life hanging by a thread, I have to give overall consideration to it."  
She stared at Jack for a long time: "If you must do it. I insist to be there too. I am not doubt you skills and experiences, Hannibal, but I must put my patient's well-being at the first place. "  
He bowed slightly to her: "Of course, we must gurantee Trillian's safety. "  
"It's Catherine." Dawson corrected him again.  
He deliberately ignored him with a smile.


	5. Chapter 1-4

She sat on the sofa with Alana, wearing an green striped skirt, shabby but neat. She was obviously nervous, holding Alana's hand tightly .  
He squated down in front of to her, looked at her eyes and said to her mildly: "Trillian, today I'll be your doctor, but Dr. Bloom will be here with us too."  
She nodded, lips turned white: "Are you gonna to use needles?"  
"No, sweety, no needles, don't worry. Want a big cup of hot chocolate before we start?"  
After drinking hot chocolate, she relaxed and began to look around his office with curiousity.  
"Now, let's start."  
Alana held her hand lead her to the couch. The two doctors sat on each sides of the couch.  
Jack was sitting behind his desk, as silence as a statue.

"Now, Trillian, look at my eyes."  
her eyes looked straight into his eyes, like glittering emerald, with curiosity and a trail of fear.  
He stroked her forehead gently and bent towards her, talking into her right ear: "Trillian, Doctor Bloom and I are here to watch you, to protect you, you are very safe here. Now, relax and have a good sleep."

Her eyes blinked several times, slowly closed. Gradually, she loosed Alana's hand, breathing peacefully.  
"Trillian, Can you hear me? Tell me where you are."  
Her lips quivered, but no voice came out. He continued stroking her forehead.  
"It's Okay. I know, do not worry, I know. look at things around you, look slowly, take your time and tell me where you are."  
She tried to move her lips again, finally a small voice sneak out, a dreamy voice of a little girl,: "I'm at a party, my birthday party."  
"How old are you?"  
"I, I do not know."  
"It's okay. Tell me what do you smell?"  
"Orange juice, honey cookies, mommy is making roast chickens."  
"Is there a birthday cake?"  
"Tell me about your cake."

"Chocolate cake, chocolate and cream, teddy bear, cherries and candles."  
"How many candles?"  
"One, two, three, four, five, six, six."

"Very good. Trallian, tell me who are there with you?"

"Daddy and Mommy."

For the first time, he saw her smile, a sweet smile twisted by the deep scar on her left cheek. A precious smile mada him suddenly did not want to continue, did not want to ask these stupid questions again._Maybe it's better to leave here-at her birthday party, with dear mommy and daddy, never grow up to face the dog-eat-dog world._

"What are they saying to you?"

"They are saying to take me to the carnival."

"Are they calling your name?"

She was complete silent, onimous silent. Then, "I dunno," softly, "I can't hear them."

"It's OK. Do you see Emily?"

Her voice was confused:"Who's Emily?"

"Never mind. Now tell me about the carnival, do you like it?"

"yeah, very much."

"What did you like?"

"Balloons. Lots of balloons."

"What else did you see?"

"Marshmallow. Carousel, I dropped marshmallows on my new dress." Her body twitched slightly, holding the doll harder.

"Keep going."

"We went to pirate ship." Her eyelids fluttered but didn't open. Allana looked at him with concern, tried to reach out to hold her hand, he stopped her with an unarguable look.

"What did you see?"

"Clowns and Monsters! Red-eyed monster!" She began twisting her body violently, struggled to wake up.

He put one hand on her forehead, the other hand holding her hand: "What kind of monster? Tell me!"

"Red-eyed monster! Iron monster! Loud! Very very loud! It ate Daddy and Mommy!" She suddenly opened her eyes, tearfullly:"Daddy! Mommy!"

Alana openned her arms trying to hug her. She fighted desperately to free herself from Alana arms, almost fell down the couch, accidently dropped the dolls onto the floor.

She began to scream, shrill and painful.

He picked up the doll back into her hands immediately, hold both her hands and the doll's hand together tightly.

"Hush, hush, It's all right, trillian. I'm here, You are with me now. I'll protect you. Trillian." He said softly to her ear, meanwhile indicated Alana with his eyes to hand him the sedative they had prepared before therapy.

She finally rested queitly in his arms and fell sleep.

"I've told you hypnotherapy could only make situation deteriorated at this stage of her !" Alana words with blame. Jack walked restlessly in the office. "And, Why did you keep calling her Trillian? Her name is Catherine. Calling her by the wrong name wouldn't help with her individual cognitive!"  
"The first thing I need is her trust, I must earn her trust so that she can let me to where Catherine is. Otherwise the therapy wouldn't go nowhere but a dead end. "  
"You can't find Catherine by this way, it would only make her worse, she was not ready!"  
"Alana, When I was praticing medical I met a lot injured kids, sometimes their heart stopped at the ER. Do you know what is the most effective emergency treatment to bring them back?"  
"Electric shock, adrenaline, CPR." She replied with confusion.  
"Electric shock is the most effective, but when we had to ask the mother out of presence, you know why ?"  
"A mother may interfere the treatment, electric shock looks very scary." She answered reluctantly.  
"Yes. A mothers who loves the child very much does't have a clear judement at that time. She can only see how the beloved kid suffers from the shock at the specific moment, but fails to understand that a small harm could probably avoid larger damage. Why? "

"Because she is concerned, which might have a bad influence on her cares to much. The Love for the child blinds her eyes."  
"I'm not her mother, she's just my patient."  
"But you cared to much, don't you?"  
Alana was left absolutely speechless with his word.


	6. Chapter 1-5

Jack didn't attend the second therapy, he was busy with a similar case happened in a small town nearby . "It's better for you," He told Jack in the phone,"The therapy may looks a bit scary, even brutal, but believe me, this is good for her."  
Jack laughed shortedly: "Believe me, I've seen enough cruelty than most of the people in the world ."  
Alana waited in the waiting room.

He sat next to Trillian on the sofa, watching her drinking her favorite beverage - a cup of hot chocolate- chocolate and something else to help her relax. Then he took her to the couch.

"Well, let's get it started."  
After she entered the hypnotic state, he asked a few simple questions to warm up, then went directly to the fatal question.  
"Trillian, Tell me where is Catherine ?"  
"I do not know." a shiver racked her.  
"I want you to have a good look around you, and tell me where Catherine is." His voice was serious, unquestionably.  
Her tears streaming down from the closd eye: "I do not know! I do not want to see!"  
"You have to. Find her!"  
"No!" She screamed, waving her hands blindly.  
He pressed her forehead with one hand, the other holding her hands firmly : "I know it's not easy for you, but we can't leave Catherine alone, go find her. Maybe Emily could help you ."  
She struggled under his hands, crying: "No! It's too dark, I'm afraid! I'm scared! Help me!"  
"What's in the dark? What do you smell?"  
"I smell fear! She was very scared! Blood, I smell the blood!" She tried to open her eyes. He forced her to close again with a firm hand.  
"What do you see? Tell me, and I'll lead you out of the darkness, I promise, I'll take you out."  
"Wine, I smelled the alcohol."  
"Where is Catherine?"  
"She ... she was in the dark." She cried, tears wetted his palm.  
"What is he doing in the dark?"  
She almost choked: "She is, is, hiding."  
"Do you see her? Where is she?"  
"Under the bed, she is hiding under the bed." She struggled fiercely, but his hands were relentless, irresistable.  
"What is she hiding for? "  
"Monster! Black monster!"  
"What do you see?"  
"Help!" Another violent struggle, he almost let her got away.  
"Tell me what happened?"  
"Blood, a lot a lot of blood!" She suddenly stopped struggling, as stiff as a rock.  
"The monster want to kill Catherine?"  
"No," her voice is low, like a whisper, he bent closer to catch her words, "He could't kill me! 'Suddenly, he caught a touch of chill, straightened himself instinctively, " because I got the ax! " low but clear.  
Her white teeth blazed in the light.  
He felt lucky that neither Jack nor Alana had been here to witness the last scene.  
Next, he waked her up: "Welcome back, Catherine."


	7. Chapter 2-1

2. Catherine

Alana hold her in a tight embrace, tried to soothe her nerves.  
"She is all yours,Alana." he said.  
Alana looked at him with an expressive glance and said nothing.

A week later, He invited Jack and Alana for dinner at his house. He asked about Catherine casually during supper.

Jack put down his glass of wine, a wry smile spread over his face: "According to Catherine, she was awakened by the noise downstairs. She got up to have a look and saw Dirk was chasing Bryan with an ax on the stairs. Bryan fled into Catherine's room, but was caught by Dirk and killed, Laura heared the noise and came to check the situation, got killed by Dirk to. Catherine fled and hid under the bed. Dirk put down the ax and tried to grab her out, she took the opportunity to grab the ax. so Dirk poured whiskey on her bed try to burn her out or burn her to death. "  
"How did she survive?"  
"She said she had passed out when the fair had started, until the police find her." _Perfect story - even more perfect than the facts.  
_"But how do you explain the footprints?"  
"Catherine said sometimes Bryan gave Dirk his old shoes."  
"Do you think she need another hypnotherapy?"  
"I don't think so. Her statement matches the evidences. The only thing bothers me is the second seemed familiar, but the house was burnt to the ground, didn't leave any useful evidence. And we still couldn't find Dirk."  
"Maybe his anger was burnt down to ground too. He waked up, got scared by what he had done and decided to flee to Mexico. " He turned to Alana, "I think Catherine should be discharged soon, what kind of future she is facing? "  
Alana signed:" As I know, Brian's farm is on the brink of bankruptcy, and he lost most of the money Catherine's parents left to her too, gambling. The bank is about to carry out a bankruptcy liquidation, It won't left her much money. Catherine would probably be sent to a foster home. But after experiencing so many things, it would be difficult for her to adapt to a new family. " _So they want to send the lamb to a wolf again.__A__twisted __smile__ flashed in front of him, Trillian__'s __smile.__  
_"May I have a suggestion?"  
"Please."  
"An old colleague of mine has a plastic surgery clinic in Los Angelas- you know how much those stars are keen on cosmetic surgeries - he supports a charity project, provides free plastic surgery for kids from low-income families, I can recommend Catherine to this project, he happens to owe me a favor. "  
"Sounds great." Alana said excited, "But what about the other expenses?"  
"Don't forget I do charity works too!" He joked, "I will remind my accountant this money goes to the tax-exemption column. How is Catherine's situation? "  
"She's been doing great. Her emotions are more stable now, but still has nightmares occasionally. Poor kid. Girls at this age should still be little princess of their parents."  
Jack looked at him thoughtfully: "It's the first time I've ever seen that you showed so much care to a patient, Doctor."  
His smiled: "Technically, Catherine is not my patient. I just think that if she continues sticking in nightmares, we would never see Alana's smile again."

Before Catherine went to Los Angela, Alana brought her to say goodbye to him. Her hair was put down, trying to hide the scar on her face. A sixteen-year-old girl always wants to look good.  
Catherine seemed completely forgot him, and he couldn't find a trace of Trillian either.

The same face, same eyes, but an obscure cringing expression took the place of the air of childlike innocence. The subtle change made her face suddenly become mediocre, even the delicate collarbone seemed crude. _Is that touch of chill a mere illusion? Or simply something oozing from the deepest dark greet__ed__ him __through her voice__–__from the d__arkness she has been lived with for a long time._

He had to admit to himself that he had more interests with Trillian-_the way she eats __ice-cream__ looks __just __like another little girl.__  
_Catherine thanked him politely, but not humble. Even a decade of hard years could not erase a well-educated childhood with dear mommy and daddy.  
He said goodbye to them, watched the two leaving. Then he dimed the lights, sitting at the boundary of light and dark, slowly sipped the first glass of wine of that today.


	8. Chapter 2-2

He hadn't seen her for almost a year.

His old colleague Dr. Carrey went to Baltimore to attend a seminar and took a brand new Catherine back to him.  
She was a little taller than he had expected. The scar on the left cheek could only be found when she was laughing, and only by hypercritical eyes. She was still pale,but looked more healthy and cheerful. If he didn't know her past, didn't deliberately look for pain hiding deeply in her eyes left by the vicissitudes of life, He would believe she was just an ordinary seventeen-year-old girl, an ordinary girl who was spoiled by her parents and occasionally fighting with her brother over watching TV._ Some times he is curious about the enormous vitality of human beings. Like weeds she grows._  
She brought him a gift, which surprised him. A miniature of his office, she made it.  
"A nurse of the plastic clinic taught me how to make dollhouse. I couldn't go outside during recovery,so I had lots of the time to learn it little by little ." She said, smiled shyly.  
He surveyed the model house with critical eyes, marveled at her eidetic memories. She recreated every details of his office, which made him feel a bit discomfort. He didn't like being observed.  
She even remembered the patten of his tie at the second therapy.  
He observed the two little figures in the miniature house, one small figure sitting beside the couch, holding another little one's hand. The only two people in the model houses, There was no Jack, no Alana, even no Emily.

He turn to her, asked: "Is it your first work?"  
"No, but it's my best work."  
"Hey, I'm so jealous." Dr. Carrey laughed .  
He put down the magnifying glass, smiled to her : "It's my honor."

He almost underestimated her－she was nothing mediocre.

He invited Alana for dinner with them the next day, to give her a surprise. They hugged each other and cried, like a reunion of long-lost mother and daughter.  
After dinner, he asked Catherine to help with washing up.  
"Do you remember Trillian?" He asked while making coffee.  
"No. But Doctor Bloom told me about Trillian. She thought Trillian was probably an imaginary friend from my childhood." She didn't look back, didn't stop cleaning.  
"What about Emily? Is she an imaginary friend too?" he noticed her stiffen when he mentioned Emily.

"You mean the doll? It is the last birthday gift from my parents ."

He came to her and tapped her on the shoulder:"I'm sorry to mention that. I just wondered why Emily is not there with you in the model house. "

She turned around and looked at him: "Because I think it's the safest place in the world."  
"So, Emily is your guardian angel?"  
She hesitated, looked up thinking. He saw Tillian's face from the puzzled frown.

"I'm not sure, but I always feel comfortable with Emily. It seems Emily knows everything."  
"Well, maybe I should ask Emily someday."  
She laughed with him: "Maybe."

When he and Catherine came back with coffee, the other two was talking about Catherine's future. It seemed the nurse who taught Catherine to make the model house was a single mom, she was eager to have Catherine live with her. _Sounds__great__, __Catherine would have__ a safe __shelter from the rain__, __and for the single mom, __a__n extra pair of hands __w__ould__always be needed__.  
_"California's sunshine will be good for her ." Dr. Carrey concluded.

Before they left, Catherine hurriedly back to take her scarf, he took the opportunity to ask her: "Catherine, could you do me a favor?"  
"Sure, as long as I can."  
"Do you willing to have another hypnotherapy?" He asked casually, as if he was asking whether she would like another ice cream.  
She looked puzzled: "May I ask why?"  
"Dissociative Identity Disorder is kind of a very rare diagnosis, a gold mine to psychologists. I want to know more about it. Of course, it's your decision."  
She stared at his eyes: "Do you want to talk to Trillian again?"  
"Maybe." He looked straightly into her eyes, these green eyes, with a hint of caution, but not dodging. _He__doesn't__know exactly to whom he wants talk to, doesn't know if__h__e__ could__call the little __girl back either__.__Who is h__e looking for__?_

"Okay."  
"So, how about tomorrow afternoon?"  
"No problem. But I don't want Dr. Bloom come to the therapy too. I don't want her to see Trillian again.It would be sad for her. "  
He couldn't agree more with her.


	9. Chapter 2-3

He held her hand and led her to the couch.  
"Here we go." He didn't even know who was he looking for and where to find. _Maybe he just wants to try his new armor, to see if she still could penetrate __into __his secret world. _

She lay down there, eyes closed, just like eleven years ago. _He c__ould__ destroy her easily, __made__ her pay for the cheating a decade ago.  
_"Who are you? Tell me your name."  
"Catherine Adams."  
"Where are you?"  
"I'm in?" she sounds somewhat confused, "the model house?"  
"Who's there with you?"  
"Nobody. I'm all alone." a hint of uncertainty in her voice. _Interesting answers. He can imagine how her subconscious is screaming desperately to her.__  
_"Catherine, Do you remember the night your parents died?"  
"No." she whispered.

"What do you remember about the accident?"

"I remember in the hospital. I cried for my parents. It hurted too much to talk. "

"Do you remember the night Bryan and Laura got killed?"  
"Yes." she admitted reluctantly after long silence.

"Catherine, I want you to go back to that night."

"I can't!"

"Yes, you can. You can not hide is the safe house for the rest of your life." _There are some people, some things__you have to face.  
_"Will you go with me?"  
"I wish I could. Now tell me what did your bedroom look like?"  
"It's an old house. My bedroom was at the corner of the first floor. Primrose flower wallpapers, all faded. A poster behind the door, Winnie the Pooh and friends, a birthday present from my friend Marian ... "  
He listened carefully, one tiny room in the most shabby way gradually showed itself in front of him, like developing a monochrome photographon on a paper.

"Tell me about your bed."  
She frozen in middle of a sentence, lips trembling.  
"Your bed." His voice was firm and tough, but not cold.  
"Bryan made the bed for me before I came to his house. He found some old planks from the warehouse and managed to put them together. There was a knot on the bedhead , an eye-like knot, stared at me every night."  
"Did Bryan raped you on that bed?"  
For a moment she completely froze with terror. After a long time, she heaved a deep sigh: "Yes, Aunt Laura was afraid of him, she pretended to know nothing about it."  
"Do you hate her?"  
"Yes, I hate them."  
"Tell me about that night."  
"That night. I woke up of thirsty, went downstairs to get some water. Bryan and Dirk were in the kitchen. They were arguing."  
"What were they arguing about?"  
"Dirk said Brian did't pay his salaries for three months. He wouldn't leave until he got paid. Bryan said Dirk lost this money to him in a poker game It was not his money anymore. Dirk threatened to kill him. I was scared, trying to go back to my room. But Bryan had already seen me, he grabbed my hair, pushed me to Dirk and said," she stopped for more air, " He said to Dirk this is your paycheck, I knew you've been drooling over her for a long long time."  
"Then what?"  
"I shook off his hand, fled to my room. Brian has been drunk."  
"Did they chased you to your room?"  
"Yes, I hid under my bed, and they continued to quarrel in my room. Aunt Laura came to see what happened."  
"What happened next?"  
"He killed them! Dirk killed Bryan and Laura."

"How did you escaped?"

"I don't know. I passed out."

"Catherine, Tell me the truth."

"I am telling the truth!"  
"Don't lie to me!" _Otherwise ...  
_He got his fingers to her throat and squeezed slowly. _It seems a tiny voice is __yelling at__ him in his brain__, b__ut he can __not __hear it clearly__ no matter how hard he tried. It makes him irritated. _

"It's rude to lie. Didn't you mommy and daddy tell you that?"  
She struggled under his hands: "I am not lying! Please!"  
"I'm sorry, Catherine." He kept strangling. He could feel life passing away through his fingers.

Her heart stopped.


	10. Chapter 3

3 Emily

He stared at her body with shock, couldn't believe he actually did that. As if his hands took the liberty of taking her life without his permission. Without thinking, without hesitation, he began CPR.  
One, two, three…Her thin fragile body waved up and down under his hands, her lifeless body. _The senses of her little heart left on his hands c__o__me__s__ back. _  
He leaned over and gave her a full deep breathe. Her lips still warm. His cheeks still remembered the warm.  
He didn't pay attention to how many times had passed by, he didn't care. Press 30 times, then two breath. His body just did it automatically.

She finally opened her eyes. peaceful and enlightened eyes. He recognized these eyes in less than a second. They were nither Catherine's eyes, nor Trillian's.  
He believed he has already knew the owner of these eyes, he called her name: "Emily?"

She stood in front of him, smiling at him: "You're gonna to kill me again?" Emily's voice was low and melodious, like a fresh breeze coming through the frozen woods.  
"Yes."  
"I've been waiting for this day for a long time." She looked up with a joyful face, eyes shone with ecstasy.  
"Again? Did I kill you before?" He looked at her face, felt like he was hypnotized by this ecstasy.  
"Maybe It wasn't you. He just borrowed your hands to kill me." She confided to him as if she was telling him a big secret.

Something suddenly jumped into his memory—that night, in the ER, she opened her eyes for an instant moment when he just brought her back, maybe just one second. Their eyes met each other, looked into each other.

"That night, in the emergency room." _Emily knows everything__, _"I was floating on the ceiling, I saw you cut me open."  
"I didn't kill you, I was trying to save you."  
She couldn't hear his words at all, she was totally immersed in her own world, muttering to herself, "The strange thing was, I didn't feel any pain. It's just so peaceful, exciting, like going to a funfair, a funfair bigger than all the funfair in the world put together."  
He could not help asking: "What do you see?"  
"Dark, pure dark. Death smiled at me in the darkness, holding a heart in his hand - my heart." She closed her eyes.

_She is madder he thought. __Perhaps__ she has been le__ft__ in the ER for all these years, been left and forgotten in the dark, with __D__eath as her only company._  
"What does Death look like?"  
She opened her eyes, peered into his, _those green eyes, fathomless oceans, with nothing in them__ except of emptiness _: "Death opened my body with your hands, held my heart with your fingers," she pulled his hands, rested them on her chest. He could feel the scary scar on her chest - his work, "he kissed my cheek with your lips." _She is so completely crazy that even the crazy world couldn't hurt her anymore._  
" Am I the Death?"  
"No. You're not." She smiled at him gently, "But you are his surrogate, he wants me to die in your hands." She put his hands on her neck, closed her eyes again.

_How can you kill a person who is already a part of death, or__ should he say__, death is a part of her? _  
"I'm gonna to be the bride of Death." Smile bursting out of her face like a flower, the same smile a bride would wear when she walks to the altar, when she sees the groom waiting for her there._ And It's his job to __proceed __the bride's __to __the altar, to hand her over to the groom. __It could be a perfect wedding-only if he wants it to happen._  
His fingertips touched the exquisite collarbone - Those delicate bones, like the wings of a little bird. _He should let them perch on the highest branch, blooming in the sunshine, glowing in the moonlight._

She shuddered at his touch.

_Is she excited about the coming date with Death?_

He knew she wasn't afraid.

She would never be afraid anymore. She had left all the fear, all the pain in that ER, in the dark.

_W__hat kind __deal she had made with D__eath? __Was there any mercy a__t the __very __last moment__ of__ Mischa__ from Death ? Did Death promised to protect Mischa too, to erase all her pains all her fears? To hand her safely to mommy and daddy? I'm so Sorry dad! I couldn't protect her in this life._

He embraced her, held her safely in his arms and kissed her. She responded his kiss eagerly.

_Does D__eath __Kiss her __through his lips? __Does she kiss__D__eath through his lips?_

He took her to the couch. With his fingers he explored every detail of her body. On every scar he left a kiss tenderly. _If everything must have __an ending__, at least let __this one__ end in his hands, __before things are out of __control, __before there is no response answering __his call .  
_His bit her collarbone until tasted her blood. He could hear her groaning, softly, with pain and pleasure.

_If she was doomed to be destroyed, at least let her be__ destroyed in his hands.  
_He entered her body, as tender as possible, as though he wanted to compensate all the wrongs, all the sufferings, all the injures for her.

_Who will compensate __him for his__ loss__?__ Compensate for his toughness and tenacity__? __for his ruthless__ and heartless? For his __invincible__ and __unconquerable__?  
_He led her body to reach orgasm again and again, attempting to give her the most pleasure he was capable of.

_The two pathetic beings left __in the darkness__, __have no future, t__hey should kept each other__.  
__Before she is too broken to be repaired, before he is to tough to be hurt.  
It was too late now . Too much blood has bled out. My poor Mischa, where did your little heart go? Not even a little grave was left in the world - the totally disappearance - whose fault it is ?  
He finally understands why he has spent so many years building walls, casting armors -It is not for himself at all  
- He has to prepare a place for Mischa, in his body, in his heart, in his life - if she somehow comes back one day - a place could be made for Mischa in the world, The worthiest place!  
_  
He stood beside the couch, watching her sleeping face in the faint light of night, quiet and beautiful face. _Submerged __deeply under __the black waves,__ far __away from the __sound__ and __the fury__,__ a precious pearl couldn't be touched__ .  
It is time to __end__. She could only destroy __in __his hands, he __could __only allow her to __be __destroy__ed by__ his hand.  
_  
However, he heard the tiny voice again, trying so hard to tell him something. He stopped all the moves and thinkings, intently chasing that little voice, until it thundered in his mind, and this time, he finally figured out what it was talking: Who got the ax?  
_He must __find__ out who __fought a way back with the ax__, c__ame__ back to this __dog-ate-dog__jungle.__  
_  
He injected a sedative into her body without a second thought.


	11. Chapter 4-1

4 Catherine

Slowly, she woke up, looked round the empty room, blinked with confusion: "Dr. Lecter, therapy is over? Where are we?"  
He looked down at her with smile: "This is my home, welcome to be my guest."  
She sat up abruptly, almost fell off the bed in faint, he got her promptly.  
"What?" She looked at a chain on her ankle fearfully, dare not to move.  
"All I want is to ask you a favor." He said softly to her ear.  
She huddled as far away from him as she could, trying to hide herself into the wall.  
"Would you like to make a model house for me, Bryan's house."  
Her eyes were wide open, as in surprise.

"Please make a miniature of Bryan's house for me, an exact replica with exact every person at the exact place of the exact night ."  
She flinched involuntarily from his demand, lifted her hands to her eyes, could't speak a word.  
He put a pencil and a notebook beside her pillow: "Write down what you need, I will prepare for you." He stood up, intended to leave, "and this basement is soundproofed, don't waste you time to call help. By the way, what do you want for breakfast? omelet? honey cookies? orange juice? "

As he expected, she accepted her more and more ridiculous fate without complaint, began to make the model houses. Apparently ten years living with Bryan has already taught her what submission was.  
In his leisure time, he sat quietly on the floor with a glass wine, watching her concentrate on the task. Those flexible fingers as nimble as a deer, dancing like the finest ballerina, he was fascinated with the liquid grace of her movements.

Sometimes she stopped to concentrate all her efforts on finding the next step. Her face was serious with thinking, a small frown creased her forehead, made her seemed suddenly grown up.  
Little by little, the model house the deserted farms, barren fields, he could hear the wind whistling through the waste land.  
He began to worry about her. She was completely obsessed with the model house, ate less and less. Sometimes, the food he left for her was untouched all day. From time to time, he had to force her to drink or eat, force her to return to the cruel world.

One night, he went to the basement to see her as usual. The room was in a mess, various materials were thrown all over the place, the model house which was getting near the finish, was abandoned on the ground, fell apart. She hid under the bed.  
"Catherine, are you okay?"  
"I don't want to do this." she said lowly.  
"There are things you must do." He sat on the floor beside the bed, trying to reach out and caress her hair.  
She retreated and scrunched into a corner: "I can't, please let me go, I'm begging you."  
He sighed a deep sigh: "I'm sorry, Catherine."  
He got up and left, leaving her alone in the dark, her sob chased him hopelessly.


	12. Chapter 4-2

Two days later, he went to see her again.  
She was still hiding under the bed, as pale as a ghost. "Why? Why me?" she looked at him with pleading eyes, "I can not do it. I can't."  
He sat in his old place, watching her quietly for a moment, reached out to touch her face. She did not recoiled from his touch this time.  
"Catherine, do you want to get out?"  
"Yes, please." She cried out.

"Ok. Let get out here."

He took her to his car. It was midnight. A faint perfume of jasmine came through the car window.

She sat quietly beside him, failed to understand his intents.

He tied safe-belt for her: "Please be quiet. Catherine. I love you, but I might have to kill you if you try to escape or call help."

She nodded: "Where are you gonna to take me to?"  
"A place can help you find a way out."

She shook like a leaf in the wind at the first sight of the place-Bryan's house. He had to hoist her into his arms to bring her to her old bedroom.

"Why, Why do you take me back?" Her eyes fell on the half burnt bed, and a new tremble passed over her, causing her to shiver in every limb.

He hold her steadily.

"I went to the house several times after you left to LA."

She didn't turn her head, her eyes locked on a stain of old blood on the wallpaper.

He continued: "Because I care about you. I want to understand what happened to you and how can I help you to get over it."

"I don't need your help. I was fine in California."

"Fine? You mean you don't have nightmares at night? You don't get scared every time a stranger is getting close to you? You don't dare to face your past? I'm a psychiatrist, I know how to define fine."

"I don't understand. You said you would help me.It doesn't help."  
He explained to her with patience: "Believe me Catherine, I really really want to help you, but I can't do that if you choose to hide in the dark. You must help yourself out of the dark first."  
"No. Please let me go, doctor! I beg you, I beg you, I beg you."

He suddenly flung her to the bed. She screamed in horror.

"Nobody can you scream here. Nobody can hear your cry. Was there anyone to help you when you were raped by Bryan?"  
She huddled up, trying make herself looking smaller, more unnoticeable: "Sheriff Sam said he and Brian were friends, I think he had some another police friend too. Right?"  
She shedded tears in silence bit her lips to bleed. He brushed a piece of hair from her face: "Now tell me, Did Bryan ever offered his police friend a special 'dessert' after supper, to entertain them? to made their turning back to the violence?"  
His palms were wet with her tears.  
"Oh. I almost forgot. There is something I need to tell you. Police caught a waiter of the hotel you stayed and find a piece of your scarf at his home, a piece of scarf with your blood on it. I was asked to evaluate his psychological situation tomorrow. I wonder if they could find a part of you body according to his confession, Let's see. " he drew on a line her left arm with his forefinger.  
She stopped crying, stared at him with despair.

He kissed her forehead with tender: "You have to be strong, go find your ax, fight your way back. Believe me, Catherine, if possible, I'd rather it was who had to suffer. "

He hugged her for a while, then stood up, look down at her face.  
She struggled to reach his hand: "Please, do not leave me alone."  
He held her cold hand with his warm hand: "I will never do that to you when you are not ready. Let's go home now."

She hid under bed again when com back to the basement.

He waited another two days.  
Under the bed was lying the half-conscious young girl.

He carried her to bed, fed her a glass of warm milk.,wiped her face and body with a soft tower.  
She managed to opened her eyes: "I wrote a list for you." Her words were low and indistinct.

He took up the notebook, turn to the last page. She wrote a new list of all the materials she needed. And in the last line, with a totally different handwriting, here she wrote - "an ax . "  
He read with satisfaction, his thin lips curved up into a perfect smile.

She isolated herself from the world again, concentrating all the energy on the model house. he left her undisturbed except for reminding her eating and drinking.  
He was captivated to the nearly-completed model house, the dilapidated farmhouse, her shabby bedroom, two quarreling people in the kitchen. Finally, there was only one last piece left-the little figure of a young girl. He wondered where she would put it.

She stopped there: "Can you give me a glass of wine? to celebrate my best work."  
He shook his head in disapproval:"You're still beyond the legal drinking age, Catherine."  
She laughed, a little bit out of control: "You're the best law-abiding citizen I've ever seen, Doctor."  
He laughed too, got up to upstairs. On his way out, he casually kicked a little ax out of her reach .  
When he come back to the room with a glass of wine, she had already completed the last detail. She stood in front of the miniature, accidentally blocked his sight.  
She gripped the wine glass tightly: "You promised to let me go after it done."  
"Sure. But not now. I'll let you go when you are ready." He stirred her nerves, slowly, step by step.

"You promised." She tried so hard to hide the trace of trembling in her voice.  
After an impressive silence, "Don't push me. I know more than one way to let you out, sweety." He looked down at his fingers, firm and steady fingers.  
She looked at his fingers for a while, weighing his words: "Got it. Do you want to see the house now?"  
He went around her to the model house, noticing, out of the corner of his eye, she took up the glass and drank to the last drop.

He turned his back towards her, waiting.

A sharp shattering sound. He turned around, just saw her threw herself to him, with a sharp broken stem of the wine glass in her hand, stabbed angrily at his chest.


	13. Chapter 5-1

5. Mischa

He waited until the sharp edge of the broken stem submerged into his chest, waited until the severe pain spreading through his body, waited until the first drop of his blood falling to the ground. Then he grabbed her wrist before she could go any further, threw her to the bed and handcuffed her to the bed barrister.

Her handsome face was distorted with rage, a fire burning in those bottomless eyes, a brand new her is there.

He stood up, felt a little dizzy causing by the sharp pain. he pulled the broken stem out his body carefully, fortunately for him, his ribs stood as a hinderance to the blade: "Just a small wound."

"You won't be so lucky next time." She said in clear voice, as cold as ice, as hot as fire.

"Can you tell me who you are?" He put on a pad of gauze over the wound.

"I'm nobody, I don't have a name."

"Can I call you Mischa then?" He did not stop to wait for her approval, "Mischa, welcome back to the crazy world."

The new returned Mischa was like a wild mountain fire, violent and blind, had the will and power to destroy all the obstacles along her way. He had to give her half a Valium to calm her down, to save her from hurting herself by accident.

He went upstairs to give himself a quick treat for his wound and went back to her immediately : "I know you're angry, no, angry isn't the correct word. You have all the right to be furious with this world, this brutal squalor world owes you a lot."

Her eyes moving slowly. He didn't know if she was listening, how much she learned from his word.

"You were trapped here, in this body." He reached out and caressed her hair, her face, "You are the only one capable to protect yourself, but you were imprisoned by your own heart, all you could do was watching this body got hurt. I'm so glad I set you free. And I'm so sorry that I have to use some extreme measures.

"Trillian was a lovely child, but she was too fragile. Catherine was smart and tenacious, but she wasn't brave enough to fight, and Emily, "

Words abandoned him, "Emily," he lost in the middle of nowhere, trying to get a clue, but failed to label her, _disoriented words entangled in the air, a mass of confusion__.__The completely mad __Emily? __The eager-for-death __Emily? _

_She and Mischa __are just like two poles of the dark__ - __one is __a violent __lightning of a everlasting __storm __which teared__ the __thick __night sky__ and revealed the __bruta__l, __bloodthirsty creatures__ sneaking in the woods,chasing __people __who dare to put a foot in their domain. T__he other is __a__ faint light of a distant __fire on__a__ seemingly interminable __waste land, soothing the exhausted heart of the fatigued __traveler__,__ lull__ing him__ into a false sense of __consolation -__ even__ he knows the light of fire coming__ from__the last burning__of__ an__ ancient ruins._

"I had to destroy them to lead you are the only one have the ability to protect yourself, the only one can find a way back to the cold cruel world."

He paused for a moment, watching her eyes. The eyes were burning with solidified anger.

"This world is far away from nice, even far away from bearable. I believe you've already knew that. And we, you and I, our job is to make it a little more tolerable." _Do not __believe__the so-called__ compassion__, so-called__mercy __- from __the very moment when the blood of __an innocent __bleed out__, the world __had __los__t__the __eligibility __of being pitied.__All the punishment are__ self-inflicted, __a__ll __t__he mournful wail__s are their own karma__, all __the __gut-wrenching__ and heart-breaking__ have __the same__reason__ - __those who stood by and __looked on with folded arms__ of an __innocent __kid__being butchered __have __to face his own slaughter. And that, is their original sin. _

"My dear Mischa, come with me. You and I, will make the world a more interesting place."

He sat by her, kept vigil over her all night.

The next morning, he untied her, handed her the axe.  
She took it, shot a suspicious glance on his face.  
"Now, I'm going to teach you how to use axe."  
"I know how to chop."  
She smiled grimly, put the ax in both hands, swung as hard as possible to his head .  
He dodged the blade swiftly, grasped her arms and twisted them until she had to let the ax go.  
"Very good, but I will teach you how to use it better."  
"Why will you do that?"  
"Because, my dear Mischa, as I told you last night, you and I, are going to make the earth a less boring place."  
"Why should I believe you? You lied to me twice."  
He smiled: "Just think it's a game. If you win, you're free to leave and you can take whatever you want. If you lose, you have nothing to lose."  
"What if I want to kill you?"  
He made an easy gesture: "If you win, I would be glad to give you my life." _Just like__ training a young wolf __to __snapped his throat. This will be a__n__ interesting game, even perfection, if possible.  
_"So let's stop waste each other's time."  
"Agree. You do have a lot to learn. A lot lot…"


	14. Chapter 5-2

He nourished her tirelessly, physically and mentally, to make up for all the lost time.

Just before the first snow, he took her to his mountain cabin .  
He let her drive all the way to the mountain. He sat beside her,conducted her, occasionally glanced at her, unsure whether she would take the risk to kill them both by driving down the steep cliff.  
The cabin located near the top of the mountain, hiding in a little hollow.

It was almost dusk when they arrived. Amid the growing shade of twilight stand a thick forest of pines. Leaden clouds swirling in the dark sky, wind screaming in the woods, he could smell the fresh scent of snow in the air.

She got out the car, stretched and yawned lazily, a whirling wind grabbed her hair and threw it into every directions. At that moment, he heard "Desterò dall'empia dite" echoing in his head.  
She muffled herself up in the jacket, put a careless hand to her flying hair, turned around and asked him: "What's the next? Girl Scout training?"  
He smiled and nodded: "Just a vacation."  
"Vacation? Yours or mine?"  
"Ours." he picked up his small backpack walked to the cabin, she walked behind him. His back was completely defenseless.  
She didn't want to miss this opportunity, the next second, the belt of her canvas bag wrapped his neck like a snake.  
He spent a full minute to free himself .  
He was an excellent teacher, and she was a very good student.

She chopped wood to make a fire, he made some tea then began to prepare a simple dinner. _It must look like a real family vacation if there are somebody watching them. What feels like to live with a family?He has completely forgotten, and she seems not remember either.  
_Just a floating moment of distraction, one of his arm almost disappeared beneath her axe.  
"Mischa, I told you not to bother me when I am cooking." He pretended to be angry.  
Her made a face and smiled to him, an adorable smile borrowed from Trillian, which could melt all the hearts in the world.

He casually talked about the three Furies during supper, " …There were three sisters: Alecto, Megaera and Tisiphone. Their name means Furies. they were placed in the Underworld by Virgil and it is there that they reside, tormenting evildoers and sinners. However, Greek poets saw them as pursuing sinners on Earth when there is a crime need to be punished..."  
She smiled scornfully: "So they must be very very busy."  
She insisted on sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag. He was awakened by a soft sobbing at midnight.  
He hesitated for a second, then struck a match. A face covered with tears quickly hid into darkness.  
"Bad dreams?"  
No response.  
He blew out the match: "If you want, you can come to sleep by my side."  
Brief moment of silence, he heard footsteps approaching his bed.  
"Truce for tonight?"  
"Truce for tonight."  
She curled up in his arms. She seemed smaller in the dark. As she was still six, wearing her new dress, holding her parents hands, laughing.  
He didn't bother to ask what kind of nightmare was chasing her in a snowy night, didn't bother to ask her whether it's a red-eyed monster or a two-feet-moster in human skin. As he has never told anyone - even his psychiatrist - the nightmares chasing and hunting him at uneasy nights.  
She finally quiet down went back to sleep. _He hope__s__ that __she could have a good sleep at __the rest of __to__night, __by__ his side, __in his arms. This is all he could give her -__ a dreamless night - We must be strong, my dear Mis__c__ha.  
_  
The next morning he woke up with empty arms. He lay there, chewing the emptiness for a few minutes.

He heard the sound of chopping, dressed up and went to the window.  
It was a silver world outside. She was chopping firewood in front of the cabin, he stood there, enjoying her liquid and graceful movements. _He knows he has to let her go someday, all he wants is that day won't come soon.__  
_  
After breakfast, he was ready to leave.  
"I prepared some food for you, enough for a week, I'll come back to see in two weeks."  
"It is your vacation after all!"  
"The nearest town is thirty miles away, I sincerely suggest you not to try in such weather."  
"Ok. Just ask, you didn't prepare bows and arrows for me. Right?" She leaned against the fireplace, with the axe close at hand.

Without waiting for his reply, she answered her own question: "I always want to know how to hunt with an axe anyway."


	15. Chapter 5-3

He returned to the cabin exactly two weeks later. After wading in the knee-deep snow for one hours, carrying heavy luggage, he finally saw her.  
"Hey! You back, I am almost dying for eating this all day." She stood in front of the house, a frozen rabbit laying at the her foot.  
He smiled with satisfaction: "How did you hunt with axe?"  
"Oh, this is simple," she raised her chin towards the woods, "I hunted a poacher."  
She guided him into the woods, a hapless poacher's body thrown in the forest, the skull was cut open neatly. She did not even bother to bury the poor guy.  
He gave her a big smile: "Forget about the deer, tonight you'll have a real dinner."

She ate reluctantly, apparently didn't want to show her weakness in front of him. He pretended not noticing her struggle.  
After she finally managed to finish her food, he took out a small box from pocket and handed to her: "Happy birthday, Mischa."  
Her face froze for quite a while before taking the box. Inside the box was an simple but elegant gold necklace with a golden small running deer hanging below.  
He helped her put on the necklace, she looked at herself in the mirror for a long time, took around and asked: "Why me?"  
"Because of you, Mischa." _Because you have died in my hands, because you have died in many people__'s__ hand__s__, because you are strong enough__ to fight__, because you __can fight you way back __no matter where __you are__.  
I do not know what makes you, __maybe __you have been there__ from the very beginning of your life__, __always __ready__ to protect yourself __in the most difficult times; Or __maybe __because __what __my hands __left on your __heart imprinted you, __stained you and __purif__ied__ you; Or __the__ darkness __itself __created you, __like __dark water, little __by little infiltrated into __your bone__s, into your soul__.  
_  
The next morning, he made her omelets with fresh eggs and butter , she ate with the inexplicable expression, like impenetrable sphinx.

"Five buck to buy you are thinking right now."  
She looked straight into his eyes: "Will you feel sorry for me if I die here?"  
He was struck dumb for a few second: "You will not die, I won't let that happen."

On his way down the mountain, he couldn't stop thinking.  
_Have y__ou __ever __thought __about that __she __c__ould die here?  
No.  
You never imagined an answer__ like that.__ Why?  
Because I __know what she is capable of__, she can take care of __her__sel__f__.  
After all, she __is only__ 18 years old__, a young__ girl__ with terrible trauma__.  
__S__he __i__s a__ surviver__.But you __left her alone in__ the mountain, __without__ enough food, __all she has is__ an ax__e__ to protect __herself__.  
I gave her good training__s__, I will not let her die.  
__What i__f __something bad happened to her__? __She even hasn't a phone to call help__.  
__Nothing bad would happened __.  
I'm just saying: __what if__ ?  
_He stopped and turned back.

She was chopping in front of the cabin, really surprised to see him back, she ran to him with big smile and open arms, as if she wanted to give him a hug. He opened his arms to her too.  
The next second, she gave him a good swift kick in the right knee, he reeled forward from the force of the blow. She stepped forward quickly and gave him a heavy punch in his stomach.  
He fell into the snow, seeing her swung up the axe with the same smile.


	16. Chapter 5-4

She hit him on the right thigh with her axe, skillfully avoided the bones and major blood vessels, but definitely denied all his opportunities to escape quickly and easily, he tottered to his feet, stagger on his legs like a drunken man, tripped over a stump, and then fell to the snow.  
She stood beside him, with a triumphant smile, like a child gloried in her winning the championship at the debut.

She looked down at his face, axe hanging aside, blood dripped from the blade, his blood ...

"It seems I won." Her giggled, in her sweet, crystal tones, "I found some old books at the attic, books about Asian martial arts, very useful. You won't forget your promise, will you ? "  
"Of course not, if you win, you're free to leave and you can take whatever you want. "  
"Including your life?"  
"Including my life."  
"Very well." She said with satisfaction.  
"Wait a minute."  
"What else?"  
"Before I die, can you tell me what happened that night?"  
She tilted her head slightly, thought for a moment .

One of his hands pressed on the wound tightly, the other hand hiding beneath his body slowly reached into his pocket, pulled out a small slender metal box. He opened it gently, little by little, took out a syringe, hiding in his palm.  
"Can you tell me the truth eventually? Before I die?"  
She nodded with determination: "Fine. In fact, you've already known the most of it. Dirk killed them, not me."  
"And after that?"  
"Dirk wanted to rape me, but he could not do it, poor guy." Her voice was full of scorn. _Well, she __i__s finally able to control __her__ anger__._  
"He tried to burn the house. I told him it was Bryan's best whiskey and persuaded him to have one little sip, I knew he just couldn't stop drinking.  
"Then I brought him to the pigpen and threw him to the pigs. Do you know pigs can eat everything? Even the bones. Anyway, I didn't take any life that night. "  
"Are you ready to take a life today?"  
"I'm sorry. You left me no other choice." She looked at his face tenderly.  
"I'm afraid I do have another choice." He said slowly, while suddenly inserted the syringe needle into her left calf and pushed to the end quickly, then rolled over, barely escaped her axe, the cold blade glanced off his cheek. She bent down tried to pull the axe out of the stump, but didn't make it. She reeled, and fell slowly to the ground.

"That's not fair." and that, is the last word she said to him.

He carried her to the bed, chained her left ankle to the bed baluster. He dressed his wounds, cleaned up the blood outside the house, and then sat down to write a letter to her.

"My dear Mischa:  
I should wait until you wake up, but unfortunately I have a very important appointment this afternoon and have to leave.  
I prepared everything you need for a new life. In the backpack at the bedside you can find a new passport and driver's license, two bank cards and some cash. You are free to everywhere you want to start a new life. I believe that it must be a colorful new life.  
The key to open the shackles hanging behind the door, find a way to get it - this is your final test.  
I'll be back in a month, I hope you will have gone by then.

With love,  
Hannibal Lecter.

PS: Do not forget another promise of ours, my dear Mischa. You and I, Let's make the world a more interesting place. "

He left the letter on the bedside table. _He __wants to __stay with her, to __hum a lullaby to her, using the ancient language nobody had remembered._But instead, he gentle kissed her forehead and left.


	17. epilogue

EPILOGUE

He was forced to break his promise to go back to the cabin to Mischa. In fact, he was in Baltimore state hospital for the criminally insane, surrounded by a bunch of psychologists, listening to them arguing whether he should belong to human being.

He made a tiny mistake and it cost his freedom. That afternoon, a month before, his guest was Will Graham. He accidentally let Will find a little secret.

He almost killed Will, likewise he alomst dodged the bullet - He was dragged by his wounded leg. _He was so proud of Mischa, his best student._

In the long longe days in prison, occasionally, he thinks of Mischa, or Emily, or Catherine, whoever she is. He knows she will survive, even she was locked in a mountain cabin with a chain on her ankle. She is a tough kid, strong and tenacious, hard to die. She would chew her leg off if necessary. And she will return to him eventually, of course she will find him, even he is imprisoned in a dungeon. She sill find him, with an axe in her hand, without mercy, without hesitation.

Even if she couldn't escape, she wouldn't suffer either. Emily would take in charge at a certain moment. Crazy Emily,who has been eager to come back the arms of Death for a long long time. Only this time, he wouldn't be there as the surrogate of the death. The Death will welcome her in person, with his cold fingers and lips.

With love and squalor.

（The end）


End file.
